I had sex with patients who wanted babies, says Carla Bruni’s former gynaecologist

Carla Bruni’s former gynaecologist has admitted he regularly had sex with patients who were desperate to have babies but insisted: ‘It was always consensual.’

Andre Hazout, 70, told a French court there was ‘some inappropriate behaviour with patients, including having sex with some’ but added ‘at no time was there any reluctance’ from the women.

Fertility guru Hazout is accused of the rape and sexual assault of women who visited his IVF clinic in Paris over more than 20 years.

The capital’s criminal court heard that he even fathered children with patients who were desperate to have babies.

More than 30 women have come forward to accuse Hazout of rape or sexual assault, but the trial involves six counts.

Marie Jezequel, 51, said she was raped and assaulted by Hazout during consultations in the mid-1980s. She told the court: ‘He told me that if my husband couldn’t get me pregnant, he would. I was 20, I was awestruck. He raped me straight away.’

Ms Jezequel went back to see Hazout twice more and ‘each time he raped me’, she said, adding: ‘I was in his grip because I wanted a baby so much.’

Hazout was known as the ‘baby magician’ during an illustrious career dealing with older mothers, including France’s former first lady Ms Bruni.

The third wife of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy was 43 when she had a daughter at Hazout’s clinic in 2011.

Hazout said that he was sometimes treating up to 40 women a day and had dealt with about 43,000 cases by the end of his career. He denies all charges.